Express Pulled Up On Misleading Ads

The ASA has upheld complaints against Richard Desmond’s Daily Express for confusing readers on two separate occasions with “misleading” front-page ads.

In the first case readers claimed to have been mislead by a front-page flash offering cheap flights to the USA “for every reader.” The terms and conditions of the offer were printed on page 47 and stated: “Subject to availability.”

The ASA considered that the claim “for every reader” exaggerated the number of flights available as some readers had been unable to books flights at the advertised price. The authority also felt that the condition “subject to availability” contradicted the claim made on the front page and instructed the Express not to use the term “for every reader” again, unless enough promotional products were available.

Readers also complained that another front-page ad directing consumers to page 3 of the paper for “an amazing first class give-away,” was misleading as it implied that the promotion on page 3 was being run by the Daily Express, rather than the Royal Mail, as was the case.

The Express argued that the content of the front-page flash was editorial and was not intended to appear as a sales promotion. However, it admitted that readers could have mistaken the “editorial flash” as an ad and agreed not to repeat the mistake in the future. The ASA concluded that the front-page flash was misleading and warned the paper against publishing editorial flashes that could be mistaken as ads.

ASA: 020 7580 5555 www.asa.org.uk

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